Neal Collins SOCCER
It makes you proud (sob) to be English. True grit in the face of stunning mid- table mediocrity (sigh). It was (simper) marvellous to watch. Last Sunday we saw Southampton, safe and sound above the relegation zone, hold mighty Liverpool 0- 0. On Monday, mid-table Everton had two sent off as they held rampaging Leeds 1- 1.
And the significant fact is this: Neither Southampton nor Everton had any reason to produce these Churchillian backs-to-the-wall battles against two of the top clubs in England.
And those two results ensured Arsenal finished second in the table (and condemned Sheffield Wednesday to relegation after a 3-3 draw on Tuesday). Yes, there are times when the good old boots-and-all Premiership makes you proud to be English.
Last week there were countless convincing reasons to formulate the hypothesis that England are in the privileged position of having the most competitive competition in the world.
And on Sunday, when the final games are played, I suspect we shall have every reason to be proud of “our” lads (the current breakdown is something like 200 foreigners out of 600 professionals in the top flight) as they battle it out for the last remaining points.
At no stage can it be argued that the Premiership is the best division in Europe. No, that honour certainly belongs to the Spanish, who have turned this year’s Champions’ League into a domestic competition for the La Liga elite.
What I am saying is: no country boasts a more competitive, never-say-die edge to its game. There is never any suggestion of one side lying down for another, of anything less than 100% effort. Not for England shady deals, strange end-of-season results or pre-match back slapping.
In Spain top sides regularly pay their rivals as an incentive to win otherwise meaningless games against fellow title contenders (two years ago, a doomed Hercules were paid 50E000 a man by Real Madrid for beating Barcelona in an end- of-season fixture).
In Scotland, once Aberdeen knew they were safe from relegation following Falkirk’s ground problems, the Dons simply appeared to give up and allow opposition sides (particularly Celtic) to pulverise them.
Even in France we have just seen Calais, an amateur outfit of builders, postmen, students and a bank manager, reach the French Cup Final, where they were robbed by a diving Nantes striker.
South Africa? The latest allegation is that Bruce Grobbelaar, now a Premier Soccer League manager in South Africa, was asked to pay the referee. Yes, that Bruce Grobbelaar.
Italy’s Serie A may be an exception. There sides appear to compete to the finish like the English clubs. Unfortunately, the referees refuse to go along with the plot. On Sunday, outrageously, referee Massimo De Santis disallowed an injury-time equaliser for Parma against Juventus.
The ref claimed afterwards he’d spotted an infringement before Fabio Cannavaro’s header beat Edwin van der Sar in the Juve goal.
That equaliser would have meant Lazio and Juventus going into the final round of fixtures on Sunday on level terms. Instead, Juve are two points ahead. Don’t let me influence your feelings on this. Listen to the words of West Ham’s Paulo Di Canio, who watched the whole sorry saga on telly: “It’s a scandal,” said a man not averse to the odd scandalous moment himself.
“I was really angry when I saw it – you cannot allow these things to pass. It is an illness eating away at the heart of Italian football. That’s why I love the Premiership. I almost feel ashamed of being Italian.”
Lazio chairman Sergio Cragnotti is understandably angry too. He said: “I’ve spent more than 100-million in the past two years – only to find we cannot win. Everyone saw what happened in Turin. Nobody can explain why Cannavaro’s goal was disallowed.
‘We have been subjected to incredible injustices – Serie A is losing it’s credibility. Perhaps Lazio should pull out of the Italian League altogether.” And where would they go? England of course. And I’m sure they would be welcomed with open arms.
We can promise the Italians (and anyone else around the world) one thing on Sunday: complete commitment and a fanatical devotion to the cause. Not to mention a few surprises, which is why you shouldn’t take my suggested verdicts too seriously.
This is how Sunday’s final round of Premiership games lines up:
Aston Villa vs Manchester United
Villa have the all-or-nothing FA Cup final against Chelsea next Saturday. United are four goals away from becoming the first Premiership side to score 100 in a season. You’d expect Villa to lie down and let United roar to the ton. They won’t. With Villa’s players battling to impress boss John Gregory and earn their shirt for the final, United can expect stiff resistance. But not defeat. Neither side have lost for months, so the verdict has to be …
Villa 2 Manchester United 2
Bradford City v Liverpool
The terrible Tykes, once known as the Tyke Terriers (renamed after last week’s appalling 3-1 defeat against Leicester) need to win this one and hope Wimbledon fail at Southampton. Is that Neville Southall I see flying past the window? Bradford will go down, not because Wimbledon are better than them, but because, as we saw at Leicester last Saturday, they have guts. Liverpool, needing a win to have any chance of pipping third-placed Leeds to the Champions League spot, should get their three points.
Bradford 1 Liverpool 3
Chelsea vs Derby County
Even Chelsea can’t fail to beat woeful Derby at home. Stamford Bridge has hardly been frightening on the domestic front this season and since the European failure against Barcelona they’ve been less than impressive. But defeat against the Rams could spell serious trouble for Gianluca Vialli’s fledgling managerial career. It’s the FA Cup or the sack for Vialli. Either way, his opposite number Jim Smith may find Manchester United number two Steve MacLaren (his old assistant) breathing down his neck. You read it here first.
Chelsea 1 Derby County 1
Everton vs Middlesbrough
Everton were magnificent on Monday, defying the card-happy dealing of referee Paul D’Urso to take a point off Leeds with just nine men left standing. They shouldn’t have too much trouble repeating the trick at Goodison on Sunday, where they have been beaten just twice all season. Boro? Over-rated and over-aged, they desperately need young reinforcements next season. But Bryan Robson may be thinking more about an upcoming vacancy at one of his old clubs rather than Boro over the summer months.
Everton 3 Middlesbrough 1
Newcastle United vs Arsenal
This is the one game which might destroy my “never-say die” argument. Don’t expect much from the Gunners on Sunday. They’ve got second place wrapped up and then they play Galatasary in the Uefa Cup final on Wednesday (in Copenhagen, I’m still deciding whether to go with my lad or not. Is it worth the risk? Will there be many Yorkshire-accented Arsenal fans in evidence, looking for trouble?) so the established players will be rested. And with the FA Youth Cup final second leg at Highbury on Friday night (Arsenal are 3-1 up on Coventry after the first leg), the promising youngsters are ruled out too. I reckon Newcastle will walk this one, ending Arsenal’s superb 13-in-a-row unbeaten sequence. Bobby Robson’s Toon will go on to have a top-six season next winter, given a couple of good signings.
Newcastle 2 Arsenal 0.
Sheffield Wednesday v Leicester
Sheffield Wednesday’s demise will surprise nobody, though they had a strong enough squad to survive in my opinion. If they keep Belgians Gilles de Bilde and Gerard Sibon and Swede Niclas Alexandersson, they should bounce right back. I supect the foreigners will be offski though, leaving Wednesday to languish in Division One for a few years. Leicester? They’ll be fine, as long as they can keep Martin O’Neill in the hot seat.
Wednesday 2 Leicester 2
Southampton vs Wimbledon
I was genuinely surprised by the Saints’ resistance at Anfield on Sunday. I hope they produce the same at The Dell against relegation-threatened Wimbledon but with Terry Burton now in charge, the Dons appear to have regained a little of the old venom. They should get the three points they need – and if they take my advice and get Vinnie Jones to boss them next season, anything could happen!
Southampton 0 Wimbledon 1
Tottenham Hotspur vs Sunderland
Given my all-enveloping disdain for Spurs, I really hope the rift with David Ginola continues to grow. It would be typical of George Graham to let his only real entertainer go. Having said that, GG is capable of lifting this Spurs side to the top six next winter, given a bit of summer shopping. Sunderland will need to reinforce next season to insure against a repeat of this winter’s post-Christmas slump but as long as they hang on to Kevin Phillips, they’ll be top half again next season. That may be a biggish if.
Spurs 1 Sunderland 1
Watford vs Coventry City
Talk about a battle of no-hopers. I thought Gordon Strachan would make some real progress with the Moroccan duo of Yusef Chippo and Mustafa Hadji to add to the undoubted talents of erm … well, that’s the problem. They’ve only got an ageing Gary McAllister. Still, Watford may sign the 35-year-old who is out of contract at the end of the season. They need anything they can get. Don’t expect to see The Hornets again soon.
Watford 0 Coventry 1
West Ham vs Leeds United
Game of the weekend, in my opinion. West Ham aren’t bad at Upton Park (though Everton did win 4-0 there earlier in the season) and they are the kind of side who quite like wrecking parties (I seem to remember they’ve spoilt the odd Manchester United victory charge a couple of times in the Nineties). Leeds have simply hit the wall. Too many European games, too many cold Sunday afternoons. And the youngest side in the Premiership could now fail to reach the Champions League. But they’ll be right up there again next winter.
West Ham 2 Leeds United 2
Division One playoffs
Birmingham vs Barnsley
Trevor Francis has expressed little in the way of hope as he guides the Brummies into the play-offs. Dave Bassett, the man who did so much for Wimbledon, has built a reputation for getting the best out of average sides – expect a draw here and a Barnsley win in the second leg. But it will be Bolton who eventually win the Premiership spot.
Birmingham 1 Barnsley 1
Bolton vs Ipswich
If there is any justice in the world, Ipswich will coast through this one and the next and then go on to win the play- off final at Wembley in a fortnight. After four years stuck in the position just below the automatic promotion zone (this year occupied by Charlton, who will come straight back down, and Manchester City, who won’t) they deserve a spell back in the top flight.
But Bolton, with the quality of Eidur Gudjohnsen up front and Mark Fish at the back, may just prove too much for them, particularly at the Reebok Stadium. Fish may yet get a second chance in the Premiership, where he will come up against fellow Bafana centre-half Lucas Radebe.
Bolton 1 Ipswich 0